Trustees Approve Tuition for 97-98

TRUSTEES APPROVE TUITION FOR NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR

     COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on
Friday (7/11) approved a plan to increase resident undergraduate
tuition by 5.5 percent, or $192 a year. An undergraduate student
from Ohio will pay $3,660 annually in tuition next year.

     The increase at Ohio State is less than the 6 percent cap
placed on tuition increases in the new state budget for the 1998-
99 biennium.

     The overall cost for resident undergraduates to attend
school full-time and live in university housing will increase
$409, to $10,180 a year, an increase of 4.3 percent, said William
J. Shkurti, vice president for finance.  This includes a 3.6
percent increase for room and board ($168), 5 percent for
textbooks and supplies ($32), 1.6 percent for health insurance
($9), 3.8 percent for parking and bus permits ($3) and 7.7
percent for football tickets ($5).  The general fee will increase
from $82 to $91, primarily because of inflation.

     The 5.5 percent tuition increase comes from a 3 percent
inflationary increase, 1 percent increase in student financial
aid and 1 percent increase to cover the student share of unfunded
mandates and improved course offerings, Shkurti said.

     It also includes 0.5 percent set aside for direct service
improvements.  This is the third year a portion of the tuition
increase has been set aside for undergraduate student services,
Shkurti said.  This year, the increase will produce about 
$500,000.

     Academic and Student Affairs and Business and Administration
have made requests for part of the available funding.
     They include requests to fund operations of a student
success center, academic advising and financial counseling,
expansion of bus routes and service, alcohol and drug prevention,
and exercise and recreation equipment.

     University officials will consult with student leaders about
their priorities for the funds during the remainder of the summer
and will return with a recommendation for the board in September.

     Other graduate and professional fees and the out-of-state
surcharge will increase by 5 percent, except in the colleges of
Law (9.5 percent), Medicine (8 percent), Dentistry (6 percent)
and Optometry (8 percent) and in the business MBA program (9
percent).  The programs requested fee hikes in excess of the 5
percent to improve services to students.  The colleges presented
rationales for the additional increases and consulted with the
students in their programs.

     Computing fees for the Max M. Fisher College of Business and
the College of Engineering will continue at the same rates as
fiscal year 1997.  In the College of Business, the fees are $85
per quarter for full-time undergraduates and $120 per quarter for
full-time graduate students.  In Engineering, fees are $110 for
undergraduates and $120 for graduates.  Fees in both colleges are
prorated for part-time students.

     At the regional campuses, funding of the access challenge in
the state budget allowed tuition increases to be held to 2.3
percent next year.  Full-time undergraduate students at Ohio
State